Book Review
WHOLE FOODS FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS

The newest cookbook from
La Leche League International, written by one of the authors of the
popular Natural Baby Food Cook Book, is much more than a simple
collection of recipes. Technically the beginning of weaning, the introduction
of solid foods into a breastfed baby's diet can be a momentous occasion,
especially for a first-time parent. What kind? How much? In what order?
Is there really any reason not to use commercial baby food? What do
I do when the baby is ready for something beyond bananas?

About half of WHOLE FOODS FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS
provides very easy-to-understand directions
for simple first foods. The ingredients are found in most kitchens,
and the directions are divided into numbered steps that are reader-friendly,
even to novice cooks. Measurements are given in US and metric units.
Recipes range from appropriate for the very first feeding of an infant
to family dishes appropriate for people over one year old. The culinary
highlight is a recipe for "First Birthday Cupcakes" for that
special day.

The recipes are wonderful,
but what makes this book really special is the kind of background information
on many different types of food that will allow parents to make informed
decisions on how and what to feed their baby and toddler. Up-to-date
information on safety "rules," protecting against allergies,
and preventing obesity and food-related disorders are relevant for every
parent, first-time or seasoned. For readers who are unconvinced about
the merits of actually cooking for a baby, Kenda's exposé on
the commercial baby food industry is compelling and even somewhat shocking.

La Leche League has long
been a valuable resource for healthy cooking, and indeed one of its
guiding concepts states that "good nutrition means eating a well-balanced
and varied diet of foods in as close to their natural state as possible."
WHOLE FOODS FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS applies that concept to the
youngest member of the family so that the baby or toddler will receive
nourishing foods that complement the superb nutrition of breastfeeding.